I read all of your post, and was pleased to see that you are beginning to assign responsibility to the coaches "calling a bad game".
Calling a bad game makes one think that a given coach had other positive play calls that could have used but didn't.
CRW's Defensive Playbook is transfixed on playing man to man and if you watch the replay, ND had a hat on a hat and many times out numbered the point of attack on both defense and offense.
Because of CRW's scheme,and failure to change things up, our opponents know exactly how to attack his defense....
If im not mistaken, didn't .500 Brhom and his Tarkington like QB enjoy success against CRW's vaunted Air Raid Defense.